With all eyes on North Korea, and President Trump promising \"fire and fury\" for Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs, the U.S. Navy quietly dispatched a warship to sail by one of China's artificial islands in the South China Sea on Thursday, a Navy official confirmed to Fox News. <\/p>\n
USS John S. McCain, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles from Mischief Reef, one of three man-made islands that contain a runway and military fortifications constructed during the past few years. <\/p>\n
It's the third time the Pentagon has conducted a \"freedom of navigation\" challenging China's claims in the region since President Trump took office. Fox News first reported the previous incident in July. <\/p>\n
A US Navy P-8 reconnaissance plane flew nearby to monitor Thursday's operation, according to a separate defense official. It did not take part in the operation <\/p>\n
USS Dewey, another guided-missile destroyer, sailed by Mischief Reef in May. <\/p>\n
12 nautical miles from shore marks the territorial boundary for all nations. Since the U.S. and international community reject China's claim to the island and the surrounding sea, the passage of a U.S. destroyer close by the island amounts to a protest of sort, known as a \"freedom of navigation\" operation in Pentagon argot. <\/p>\n
China has built seven artificial islands in the region in the past few years. <\/p>\n
Reuters first reported the Thursday operation. <\/p>\n
The warship is named after Sen. John McCain's father and grandfather, both U.S. Navy admirals. The senator visited the warship in Vietnam back in June. <\/p>\n
The official said this latest freedom of navigation operation was planned in the past few weeks. They have been occurring roughly each month since May. <\/p>\n
China has long protested these operations. <\/p>\n
President Trump has been calling on China to do more to rein in North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, but with little success. <\/p>\n
The Trump administration did manage to get China and Russia's support for a unanimous 15-0 UN Security Council resolution last weekend which aimed to take a billion dollars in exports away from the rogue communist regime.<\/p>\n
Lucas Tomlinson is the Pentagon and State Department producer for Fox News Channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @LucasFoxNews <\/p>\n
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US destroyer sails near artificial Chinese island in South China Sea - Fox News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With all eyes on North Korea, and President Trump promising \"fire and fury\" for Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs, the U.S. Continue reading